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Construction crews in most states continued to work on critical transportation infrastructure projects as of late March while taking necessary precautions to protect their workforces from COVID-19, according to a March 31 survey of American Road & Transportation Builders Association members.

The analysis included 225 respondents representing the association’s eight membership divisions: contractors, planning and design firms, traffic safety and equipment manufacturers, materials and services firms, public officials and university professors/researchers.

More than two-thirds reported that as of the survey period, March 23-27, they were experiencing changes or adjustments to project schedules. Nearly 75% expected some or major financial impacts on their businesses, according to the survey, conducted by ARTBA Chief Economist Alison Premo Black.

Days after the survey was conducted, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation unfroze 61 highway, bridge and tunnel projects. The projects again became active during the week of March 30-April 3, PennDOT said.

“It just points to what a fluid situation it is. All indications are that as long as work can continue safely, states will continue with bids as planned," says Black. "Some states have even accelerated schedules and started the construction season early.”

Washington State also halted any construction not deemed critical, with a reevaluation on April 6.

When ARTBA members were asked what messages they wanted to deliver to Congress and the Trump administration relating to the next coronavirus relief bill, the most common refrains were: pass a strong multiyear transportation funding bill to help the economic recovery, “keep workers working” and don’t shut down projects.

Nearly 80% of respondents said they are rotating office employees between work and home or allowing them to work remotely.

Aileen Cho, ENR's senior transportation editor, is a native of Los Angeles and recovering New Yorker. She studied English and theater at Occidental College, where a reporter teaching the one existing journalism course encouraged her to apply for the LA Times Minority Editing Training Program. Her journalism training led to her first stories about transportation, working as a cub reporter with the Greenwich Time. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times. Many of her experiences with engineers and contractors have inspired material for her alternative theater productions way, way off Broadway. For ENR, Aileen has traveled the world, clambering over bridges in China, touring an airport in Abu Dhabi and descending into dark subway tunnels in New York City. She is a regular at transportation conferences, where she finds that airport and mass transit engineers really know how to have fun. Aileen is always eager to hop on another flight because there are so many interesting projects and people, and she gets tired of throwing her cats off her computer in her home office in Long Beach, California. She is a very conflicted Mets/Dodgers fan.